Texas’ Pell, Campus-Based Aid Expands by 71% Over 5 Years
By Kent Wolfe, Research Unit National Student Loan Program

Stafford loans are the largest source of federal financial assistance for postsecondary students in Texas and other states. Yet administrators of student loan programs still want to see the Pell Grant and campus-based programs remain strong so low-income students will not rely so heavily on debt to attend college. Given this, NSLP monitors all Title IV aid awarded to students at the nation’s institutions.

In 1996-97, postsecondary students in Texas received more than $505 million in federal Pell Grants and campus-based aid. Over the next 5 award years, these need-based programs collectively expanded over $357 million, or 71%, to nearly $860 million in 2001-02. (See table above.)

The following graph highlights financial aid Texas students received through these programs.

Pell Grants provided considerably higher aid dollars over the 5-year period and grew the most on a relative basis – less than 80% of Texas’ Pell and campus-based aid came from Pell Grants in 1996-97 compared to more than 84% in 2001-02. FSEOG, Work Study, and Perkins did grow over the 5 years but not at the same pace as Pell.

The data demonstrates that Pell and federal aid other than Stafford and PLUS loans were integral in helping needy Texas students access postsecondary education in the late 1990s and early in this decade. Current data about the programs is unavailable, so the impact of recent federal budgetary decisions on funding for the state’s students is not yet determined.

For more information about the expansion of Texas’ Pell and campus-based aid, contact Kent Wolfe at 800-735-8778, ext. 6940 or Robyn LeGrand at 314-369-3721.

Submitted by: Teresa Boldt, National Student Loan Program, 1300 O Street, Lincoln NE 68508, 800-735-8778, ext. 6827, teresab@nslp.org.